Anthony Summers knows only the most ardent Australian golf fans have any idea who he is but he’s living a dream as a longshot at this week’s US Open.
Summers, ranked 835th in the world, qualified for his first major at the age of 42 by winning his sectional event in Chicago last week, a feat even he didn’t think likely.
A grinder on the OneAsia Tour, Summers has won just $11,597 this season, but with a free shot at qualifying and the prospect of a boys’ trip to Las Vegas as his “Plan B”, the New South Welshman hopped a plane to the US.
He’d earned a spot in the qualifier by finishing top 25 (22nd) on the 2011 OneAsia money list.
“I had a pretty good Plan B,” said Summers at Olympic Club on Monday. “First Vegas and then I was going to play Pebble Beach, Spyglass Hill and Spanish Bay with friends before going to the Open to watch.
“But Plan A was always to qualify.”
“It hadn’t been a great year until last week. But you don’t get too many chances to play a major so I had a crack.”
Summers has yet to play a US PGA Tour event, let alone a major. The closest he came previously was finishing two shots outside qualifying for the British Open three times.
Consequently he is soaking up every minute as he prepares to play against the likes of Tiger Woods, defending champion Rory McIlroy, world No.1 Luke Donald, Phil Mickelson and Lee Westwood.
“I’m loving it. I don’t think the smile will come off my face for the week whether it be Friday or Sunday that I finish,” Summers said.
“If I don’t make the weekend I’ll probably follow the guys who are on the (OneAsia) tour and be a part of it that way.
“That would be hard though, so a bit of weekend work would be nice.”
Summers isn’t delusional. He doesn’t expect to be in the final group on Sunday but he does know stranger things have happened.
It’s a long way from cleaning toilets at the SCG, one of many part-time jobs he’s held to supplement his golf dream over the years.
“I’m coming up a few steps in grade from where I’ve been playing but I just have to do what I can do,” he said.
“I only have so many shots in my bag and I will make the most of them and do the best I can.
“If it’s good enough to play all four days and have a great result, then fantastic, if not, I’ll go home and continue to work on it and try to improve.”